“Jesus!” Buffy spun around, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. “God, Faith, I didn’t see you there!”
Faith stood there, a black tote slung over one denim-clad shoulder. Her hair was longer and possibly a little lighter. Her full lips were twisted in a smirk, her eyebrows arched knowingly. “I can see why…well, hear why.” She shot a look up the stairs.
Ignoring the implications of the comment, Buffy reached out and gripped her cousin’s hand. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Faith’s eyes softened for a moment. “Me too, B.” Then she glanced around, “So, you gonna give me the grand ol’ tour or what?”
“Yeah, sure,” Buffy replied quickly. “Um, where’s your bag?”
“Joyce has it,” Faith jerked her head to the garage door. “Said I should just come on in and find you.”
“Oh, well then,” Buffy smiled. “Let me show you around.”
Faith motioned to the bottom step. “Lead the way.”
As Buffy walked Faith through the house, stopping at her own to let Faith drop off her bags, the pair chatted amicably, trying to stay on lighter topics.
“How’s your mom?” Buffy questioned, guiding her cousin into the kitchen, the final room.
Faith shrugged nonchalantly, but her body tensed. “Keeps whining about my grades and bitching about the guys I’m hangin’ with.”
Buffy paused before venturing, “Is it better? From before, I mean?”
“I guess,” Faith answered in a mumble. “But can’t teach an old dog new tricks or whatever. So… when are we goin’ to this club?”
“Tomorrow night,” Buffy answered, pulling out two apples. “I still have a half-day of school.”
Faith bit into the crisp apple and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. “What’s up with you and that guy—Spork?”
“Spike,” Buffy corrected automatically and then added defensively, “and there’s nothing going on. We were just…we don’t get along very well.”
Faith chuckled. “B, I’ve known you for fuckin’ ever. No way was that screaming match between you and Billy Idol ‘nothing’.”
Rolling her eyes to cover up her surprise at the accurate assessment, Buffy poked the apple with her nail. “Seriously, Faith it’s nothing…at least not any more.”
“Oh,” Faith drew out the vowel, her smirk coming back, “this I gotta hear.”
“Not now,” Buffy replied quickly, shooting a glance behind her. Just the mere thought of being in the open area made her nervous, even if Joyce was upstairs reading.
“Just as long as you swear to tell me this sure-to-be-interesting story,” Faith instructed, taking another massive bite of her apple.
“I will,” Buffy promised and felt a sense of trepidation at the thought of explaining the chaotic drama that was Spike and Buffy, but Faith would understand.
Hopefully.
***************
“Hand over the Half-Baked,” Faith demanded, extending her arm out.
Buffy quickly dug her spoon in, scooped out the ice cream and shoved it in her mouth, enjoying the chocolate cold swirling goodness. Swallowing, she held out her licked-clean spoon. “I want the Girl Scout one.”
Faith tossed the carton to Buffy while engulfing her own spoonful of chocolate. “Damn, I haven’t had this in ages.”
They were both dressed in boxers and tank tops, and Buffy was sprawled on her bed while Faith was reclining against a pile of pillows and blankets facing the TV.
As the credits rolled on the screen, Faith promptly turned to the blonde. “You gonna tell me the deal between you and peroxide now?”
Buffy sighed, shifting to accommodate Faith on her double bed. The brunette stretched out on her stomach and looked up expectantly. “So? Spill.”
Opening her mouth, Buffy readied herself. “Okay. When I got here, Spike and I were…not so friendly.”
Faith interrupted with a slight chuckle. “Definitely getting that vibe.”
Buffy shot her cousin a glare. “Do you want to know or what? ‘Cause this is nerve-racking enough without your commentary, Faith.”
Holding her hands up in surrender, Faith nodded. “Five by five here. Keep going.”
Blowing out an anxious breath, Buffy continued. “I’m not exactly sure when things kinda...changed. Part of it was we made this stupid pact to get along for my mom and Giles’s sake, and we also had this whole running competition. Then one minute we were screaming and the next…we were making out like lust-crazy bunnies.”
Faith couldn’t hold back a laugh at the comparison, but she didn’t say anything.
Even Buffy broke out in a small smile. “It was fine for a while, you know, secret make out sessions, which were nice…really nice, but it just wasn’t working out, so I broke things off, and now it’s uber-awkward.” She finished with a shrug.
For a moment Faith was silent, almost contemplative. “Bullshit,” she announced. “Come on, B, I taught you to lie better than this.”
Buffy’s mouth dropped and she instantly protested. “What? I’m not lying!”
“Fine,” Faith allowed, “but you’re not tellin’ the whole story. I know that for sure.”
Her lips pressed tight, Buffy crossed her arms. “Well, I’m not telling you ever single detail, but that’s what happened.”
“B…” Faith’s voice was unusually gentle. “Seriously, what’s up?”
“I…” Buffy tried. “I’m just…I’m not sure how I feel for him.”
Suddenly, all the thoughts in her head spilled out a mile a minute. “I mean, he says he loves me, but we’ve barely known each other and we fight at least half of the time, and, oh yeah, we’re like stepsiblings. I don’t…I don’t love him, I know that, but I care for him, and yet I can just feel that he expects me to love him back, and oh my god I’ve totally lost it.”
Faith grinned at Buffy’s ramble. “Knew you were holding somethin’ back, but that was the biggest freak-out I’ve seen you do.”
Buffy swatted Faith with her pillow. “Like you haven’t gone nuts over a guy.”
“Yeah, but I don’t bottle my frustration,” she laughed, “I just fuck him.”
“I did,” Buffy blurted out and then slapped her head. “Oh god, I’m such a loser.”
“No you’re not,” Faith replied chidingly.
“I’m a slut,” Buffy responded, flopping back on her bed. “I slept with him and he said he loved me and went all runaway Buffy on him.”
“Ouch,” Faith commented. “I feel bad for the dude.”
Buffy sent her another death glare. “Do you want to sleep outside?”
“Listen, I’m not gonna lie, this is one messed up situation, but it’s not hopeless,” Faith shrugged. “If you really like him, you can do something about it. Tell him, tell Joyce and her boyfriend, just get it out in the open.”
Buffy turned on her stomach, her chin her hand. “It’s not that simple,” she said in a small voice.
Faith glanced at the blonde. “Maybe it is.”
************************
At promptly six-thirty the next evening, Buffy opened the door and ushered Willow in. “Hey, Wills.”
“Hi,” she replied and held up a bag. “I bought the skirt and shirt you told me to bring, but I don’t think they’ll really go together. They’re too short.”
“Just trust me on this,” Buffy told her comfortingly. “Come on, Faith’s upstairs.”
Buffy led her friend up the stairs and into her room. The door was slightly ajar, and she pushed it open further to reveal her room.
Faith was wearing a black bra and leather pants and was fishing through a pile of shirts. “B, where’s that awesome black shirt we bought at…” she trailed off, looking up.
Buffy gestured to the redhead. “Faith, this is Willow. Willow, Faith.”
Without setting down the shirts in her hand, Faith nodded. “Hey. So, B?”
“The halter with the keyhole? I gave that to you before I left,” Buffy reminded her cousin. “Anyway, Wills here needs a cute outfit.”
Faith perked up a little at the prospect. “What’d you bring?” She asked, noticing her arms.
“Just a shirt, well, it’s really a wrap for over a shirt, and a purple skirt. I don’t think they really match,” Willow answered nervously.
Taking the garments, Faith examined the critically, while Buffy searched through the pile of clothes. “Hey, B, you still got that leather skirt?”
Buffy rolled her eyes. “Don’t remind me,” she said, but produced the item after a second. “Here. I’ll be right back.” She disappeared into the hallway, closing the door behind her.
“Put this on,” Faith instructed Willow, holding out the tiny scrap of leather and the midriff-baring wrap shirt.
“Uh…” Willow tried, “I’m not sure this is so…not revealing.”
Faith turned around again, giving her a look. “That’s the point, Red. Come on, just try it.”
Feeling slightly embarrassed, Willow faced the wall and slid the skirt on quickly, and then tied the top on over her bra.
Faith, now wearing a tight dark red halter, whistled. “Damn, that looks great.” She spun Willow around to face the mirror.
Willow’s jaw dropped. “Oh, um…” She crossed her arms over the bare patch of skin between the two garments. “I don’t think this is very me.”
Buffy knocked. “It’s just me,” she announced and stepped inside. Spotting Willow, she did a double take. “Wills!”
“Doesn’t she look hot?” Faith asked with a grin.
“Buffy, don’t,” Willow warned, hunching her shoulders.
“You look great,” Buffy countered, and then paused. “It’s just…it might be a little, you know, Halloween-y. But you look great,” she repeated with emphasis.
Whimpering slightly, Willow turned back to the mirror. “I don’t think I can wear this.”
“Maybe we should nix the skirt,” Buffy suggested tentatively. “You can borrow my jeans.”
“No way, B, she looks hot like that,” Faith protested, examining her in the mirror. She glanced over at Willow again. “Just wear it tonight for the new girl.”
Staring at her reflection again, Willow nodded slightly, biting her lip nervously. “Okay.”
“Great,” Faith grinned again, her teeth flashing as she reached out for a hair band. “I’ll do your hair too.”